Is Your Sunscreen Sticking to Your Face? 6 Products to Prevent Summer Breakouts

Especially during summer, a daily slathering of sunscreen is essential weaponry against skin cancer—not to mention future sun spots and wrinkles. But as late-season heat waves roll in, that SPF you’ve been diligently applying might lead to suffocated pores and ruddy patches of inflammation, especially if you’re not taking the time to properly remove it each evening.

“It is not dangerous to fall asleep with SPF, but don’t be surprised if you wake up with a face full of acne!” warns Manhattan-based dermatologist Dr. Lisa Airan, M.D. Airan explains that certain ingredients used to formulate sunblock and create a UV barrier that lasts—Parsol 1789, for instance—are “like motor oil” when it comes to their removal. “SPF is extremely clogging to the pores,” says Airan, who suggests using a deep-cleansing device, like Clarisonic or Foreo’s soft silicone Luna brush, with a foaming cleanser.

After cleansing, a spritz of Evian water spray or Grown Alchemist’s Hydra-Mist adds a boost of hydration. Airan then recommends following up with another key complexion refresher: a topical retinol, which “can help the skin to continue to turn over properly,” she says. Airan uses SkinMedica’s Retinol Complex 0.5 followed by SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore cream in her nightly routine.

But could all this extra attention further aggravate your complexion? “Neocutis makes a hydrogel that you can keep in the fridge and apply if your skin feels irritated after a day in the sun,” Airan suggests—a final step that promises to be pleasingly cool at this time of year.

Above, 6 derm-approved products for a clean sweep.

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